SPECIAL safety barriers are to be put in place where a road bridge crosses a city rail line in a bid to prevent a rail crash disaster.

The narrow Pritchatts Road railway bridge in Edgbaston is to have special kerbs constructed around it to prevent a car plunging down the bank and hitting a train on the track below.

In February 2001, 10 people died and more than 70 passengers were injured when a Land Rover towing a trailer veered off the M62 on to the East Coast main line and into the path of a train.

Since the tragedy the pressure group Rail Future has campaigned for safety barriers to be installed at vulnerable railway bridges across Britain to avert a similar accident.

The Pritchatts Road bridge, a well known bottleneck for commuters, has been identified as needing safety barriers at its north west corner, along with a pedestrian safety rail at its south west corner.

Special high kerbs would also be built to help redirect vehicles back on to the road.

The work, due to start next month, is expected to take six weeks.

Edgbaston councillor Deirdre Alden welcomed the scheme. She said: "The road bridge is usually so congested in this spot that many drivers perhaps don't realise the potential dangers of veering off the road.

"It is bound to cause a lot of tailbacks around Birmingham University but the delays will make the bridge safer."